On behalf of the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), and in collaboration with study bureau Tractebel, we welcomed 300 residents and interested parties to an information and dialogue session about the extension of the N171 in Rumst. Attendees were briefed on the project’s current status and had the opportunity to discuss their questions, concerns, and suggestions directly with experts. This session also served as a preparatory step for drafting the preliminary design (project note). All feedback was compiled into a synthesis report, which AWV will submit to the study firm responsible for drafting the project note.

This project has a long history of stakeholder participation, and the recent dialogue session was vital in informing stakeholders of the current status between project phases and initiating dialogue for the next phase. Much of the earlier process took place during the COVID crisis, making this in-person event a key opportunity to re-establish face-to-face engagement and keep the thread of dialogue and collaboration alive as the project moves forward.